Some 45(-ish) years ago, I took a couple of photos of the British Waterways maintenance tug "Sickle", little expecting that one day I would own it. (Had I known that, I would certainly hve taken more, despite the cost of film and processing it).
The pictures were taken just South of the railway bridge that carries the West Coast main line across the Grand Union below Winkwell bottom lock.
"Sickle" ventures down that way less often now, but when she does it is always in my mind to take a "now" photo to marry up with then "then" photos I have had since about 1972. However I never seem to have those photos easily to hand and my memory plays tricks with the exact location and the camera angles used, so I'm left guessing when I try to take an equivalent.
It's made worse that s much additional vegetation has grown up that fences in the original are no longer obvious today.
Anyway, all these photos were taken very close to the same place, but two of them about 45 yeras before the other two.
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| This I think is actually quite close to being the same spot...... |
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| .......though the vegetation and trees are quite different. |
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| I needed to do better with this one...... |
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| .... as the railway line should be just in frame on the left |
Sickle has had two new super-stuctures since the old photos, but now looks broadly similar again, although the back cabin was wooden then but is now a replica of its origial one by Yawoods in riveted steel.
Steering in the current pictures is Cath. Back in 1972 the steerer was former working boatman Alf Best, with Tom Sibley, (another ex working boatman) sat on the roof.
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